Various types of coffee and tea makers have been proposed, particularly for use with glass coffee or tea pots which are sold as an integral or replacement component for such an element. Difficulties arise in the manufacture of the glass pot and matching the glass pot to the heat transfer surface of the coffee or tea maker. If the heating plate is located in the bottom of the apparatus, so that the coffee or tea pots sits on the heating plate itself, it is difficult to ensure good contact since the coffee or tea pot is hardly ever plane since, customarily, it is a pressed or blown glass element of rather wide tolerance. Locating the heating element beneath the coffee or tea pot requires a comparatively long connecting line for water from the heating element to the top of the coffee or tea pot, so that the water reaching the coffee or tea through which it percolates is not at the optimum high temperature anymore when it actually reaches the percolating surface.